Lesson plan: Eye on endoscopy

Objectives

Students will:

• Describe how pill endoscopy works.
• Distinguish between invasive endoscopy and noninvasive endoscopy and explain the distinct advantages of each type of procedure.

Standards

International Technology Education Association

High school students will develop an understanding of the cultural, social, economic and political effects of technology.

National Science Education Standards

Scientific inquiry is driven by the desire to understand the natural world, and technological design is driven by the need to meet human needs and solve human problems. By its nature, technology has a more direct effect on society than science because its purpose is to solve human problems, help humans adapt and fulfill human aspirations.

Materials

CNNfyi article, "Camera in a capsule"
Internet access
Poster board

Suggested time

1-2 class periods

Procedure

1. Discuss the term endoscopy with the class. Explain that endoscopy is a medical procedure in which a small camera-carrying tube is inserted through a natural body opening but sometimes through an incision. With this instrument, the surgeon is able to see the inner environment as well as perform surgical techniques. Have students share their feelings about invasive procedures where endoscopes, lasers or scalpels are used.

2. Have students read the CNNfyi article "Camera in a capsule" and ask the following questions:

• What is pill endoscopy? How does it work? Who developed this procedure? Where are they from? Where are the human studies being conducted? What advantages and disadvantages do you think there are to using pill endoscopy as opposed to traditional endoscopy?
• What motivated Dr. Paul Swain to develop this procedure? What ideas justify its inception? According to Swain, "It is a device that doesn't have to be used at a hospital." Do you think portability is an important feature? Can you predict the outcome if the many traditional endoscopies done each year became pill endoscopies? How do you think this would affect the health-care industry?

A. Investigate the terms "invasive" and "noninvasive" as they relate to surgical or medical procedures.

B. Place a definition for the terms "invasive" and "noninvasive" on opposite sides of a piece of poster board.

C. Under each definition, list three types of surgery that belong in that category. Examples of invasive procedures could be removing tonsils or repairing a hernia. Examples of noninvasive ones would be X-rays or chiropractic spine manipulation.

D. Below each type of surgery, list advantages and disadvantages of having an invasive or noninvasive procedure.

Evaluation

Have all groups share their findings and look for emerging patterns as well as common and divergent opinions. Have the class draw some conclusions about future research based on their discoveries: Do they think that more invasive or noninvasive research will be funded? Have them defend their answers. What do they think that some of today's medical procedures will be like 10 to 20 years from now?